Well, it does look like a well built car, but not my style. Atleast he knows you are up front and honest, right?
He didn't call it the Most Beautiful anything himself. The car won the Most Beautiful Custom award at the Sacramento Autorama.
Very well put! I have found that you are not a "shmuck" for not mouthing off your every thought, although you should be honest when ASKED. Even tactfully honest. A gentle answer turns away wrath, and makes good business. When a guy comes into the shop with his freshly fabricated custom grill for an 80's DONK car, I don't rattle on about how I think it is a stupid fad and looks rediculous. I chrome his grill and put the same effort and skill into it as if I were plating a 32 Ford grill shell. He is paying for it, not I.
Dont really like it. The suicide doors look like they are 3 feet thick. Anyway, think of it this way. How long, how many steps, how many revisions, how many opinion on how you are doing this or that, how many headaches, how many late nights... Your better off
And there you have it. He entered YOUR door,not by chance,but KNEW what you produce. He's already hatin' life with that "merc". He got a taste of what's really going on.If he can't hang=too bad. I think he'll be back! Good Luck!
Thanks, Brad, for reminding me; ....................... ......of one of the most successful businessmen, boss I have ever had......................... A customer was giving me crap and I took a break and went into the boss's office, whining about that. Boss said; I'm paraphrasing but it went something like this; "You don't have to like the customer, but he has to like you. I don't like a lot of my customers but without them I probably couldn't have hired you. Fact is, I don't have to like you, as long as you do the job I hired you for". (ps, he didn't even have to tell me to get mypo ass back out in the shop and get to work, that went without him saying it! )
When he calls back to give you the job, tell him the Mercules sucks and you're going to build him a real Merc kustom! Without the gay name!
Well it looks like most of you agree with me and yes I really told him the judges who gave that title to that car must of been on crack Anyway he came back today for another round and this time I tried to be pc and let him do most of the talking and only answering his questions. Well it turns out he has fallen in love with the Gladiator merc we have been building after seeing it yesterday. He tells me he has to have it. I told him sorry it is not for sell I am going to finish it for myself. He came back with the old saying everthing is for sell at the right price. I told him rich f#&* donot always get there way and that ended that and off he went. Now I just got an e-mail from him asking me to please reconsider selling him the gladiator merc as he must have it and to please come up with a dollar amount and he will bring the cash over asap. Well I guess in todays times the smart thing to do is to sell it to him for big money. What would you do as it seems like I always make the wrong decesion. See a few pics of Gladiator merc and yes it is an wild kustom GB & Thanks, Rick Erickson
Tell him you'd be thrilled to build him a car jut like it. By the time it's done, it'll be different. -Brad
Did you ever consider telling him you could build him a car with the styling cues he wants or think to sit down with the guy and draw up some sketches? This guy obviously has some serious money and could be a long term customer. You kinda stuck your foot in your mouth the first time you talked to him then he gives you a second chance and rather than take advantage of what could be something good for your shop you tell the guy to piss off!? Sorry man, maybe this dude comes off differantly in person but it sounds to me like your doing everything you can to piss him off and give yourself a reputation of being a prick. I'm sure that's not your intention but you better consider the fact that this guy probably has buddies that are car guys with cash as well and you may be chasing off business. Something to think about. Later, Roger
Yeah, offer to build him something similar enough to make him happy and different enough to not be a clone - and at the same time something he can take out and drive - and you aught to come up smelling like roses. The only other way to do it is build the car you want your way and try to sell it after, like that Barry White show on TLC a while back. Which is hit or miss since even with his rep at least one didn't sell at the auction. But it has to be frustrating for any builder when your customer expects you to perform magic in a week like on Overhaulin' -
Can't say YOUR Merc does much for ME, and certainly not anymore than the other one does. Having seen the other Merc at a car show, after it was done with the show circuit, I wouldn't have any problem jacking it up in the air enough to give it some ground clearance, and driving the piss out of it, or yours either, for that matter. But these are MY opinions and I'm not trying to make a living with them at the moment. With all the quality shops out there around the country (or the world for that matter) competing for business (especially the high end stuff like this particular individual would seem to be able to afford), I'm blown away you blew him off not only TWICE, but are doing it again. The guy obviously likes what you do, if you don't want to sell him YOUR CAR, offer to build him something similar. Being in business, you might want to take the advice of guys like Brad54 and Used Up Junk above. Pretty this can be summed up by saying; Suck it up, keep your trap shut, give the customer what he wants, and be able to smile all the way to the bank knowing you have the money to stay in business, feed your family, AND finance your toys!
I think it's time to sell. I know you're building this one for yourself, but how often do you receive a blank check? Just one rule... YOU get to finish it the way YOU planned, and he has no say in the final product.
Rick, Sell the Merc for Mucho $$$$ and build that wagon you always wanted. You said it's on hold now but a big enough check could change all that. If he wants it bad enough he'll meet your price.
I hear you, it's a fine line. I work in a somewhat creative field and very rarely will I pass on a job based on artistic considerations, for the most part I could care less. What I *DO* care about are working conditions and pay, and if those aren't right, I have permission to pass on a job. If you did that godawful merc, I'd say wow you did a really great job on it. It's not your fault the customer wanted a horrible car, it's executed very nicely. Same thing with my job. Someone doesn't like a project I'm working on, its nothing personal, it's not *my* project, I'm just the guy paid to execute someone else's vision. Blame them if you don't like it, I did my part right About the car, you told him its not for sale he can't have it, rich people don't always get what they want?!? Man, you need someone to do the talking for you, because brother your attitude ain't gonna make you any money. You're a car builder, right? You do it to make money? Sell him the car at a ridiculous profit and build yourself another, because that's what you do, build cars for money! You'll get no cool points from me for 'keeping it real' or 'not being PC', thats just juvenile and has no place in business. What does your business plan say, that you're open to make money or to work on personal projects and give opinions? For Fucks sake.
I guess you have to decide which is more important to you. The money from doing one job. Or having a well known car that is laughed at and ridiculed, attributed to YOU as it's builder. A two dollar hooker can always have a few stiff drinks and quickly forget one really bad customer. But a car builder generally becomes known by his work, and his success. And that work may not only be conspicuous, but hang around for a very long time. Turning out ugly crap to make a fast buck can kill your business, (and your reputation) just as surely. Only do jobs you are personally happy to having your name and reputation linked to.
Or, as the saying goes in my profession: doctors bury their failures; architects can only plant ivy! But I really can't see a Mercury going down the road covered in ivy, so that obviously doesn't apply to custom car builders.
This guy is almost like the class bully......always wants his way. And, he evidently has plenty of money to throw around to get the toy he wants at the moment. He seems to like nifty, kinda far-out Mercs. So he puts you in the position where you start thinking - should I take his money and let him have this car I've been working on?? Or should I stick to my guns and tell him to get lost? Do I need the money to help keep the business going good.....or is it not that important? Will you get any good advertising benefit if you sell him your car, finish it out, and it goes on the show circuit?? Or, he just drives it around and tells people who did it. Were you going to eventually sell the car anyway, once it was done and you had some fun with it. I guess you have to try and weigh plusses & minuses against what you want or need - now or later on.
1) The Mercules is gag-tastic. 2) If a customer talks about how nice it looks, say something neutral, like "The Mercules, while a nice car, is more of a modern show rod, not so much a traditional custom Merc. We prefer traditional customs at this shop, and that's what we do best." You get more business that way. 3) Quit pissing off rich people who want to give you several pounds of cash, what are you, crazy? 4) On your Merc - OK, now that you have gotten this far with it, are there things you would have done differently now that you can see them in the metal? Maybe your taste has changed a bit since you designed it? If so, sell him that car and incorporate your new ideas in the next one that you build for yourself. -KK
Well, i might be swimming up the river here, but 1st i like your Gladiator Merc, the head light buckets are bitchin, somehow they remind me of the Finsss Stude truck that was around a few years back.Then, if your business is goin good and you want that Merc done badly then keep it, but if these are hard times for you too then sell it. You can always build a better one.PS if only we could make a buck every opinion we throw in this place, we would all be filthy rich!
you were building it for yourself , but he is kinda right , everything is for sale if he can hit the right price... sorta. that being said I would say finish it , but keep any more of the specific details you haven't added to yourself and sell it and then build another one. if he's that jazzed on it he will pay out for it and you will win... just my opinion
ya, i always seem to let my principles get in my way. i be tempted not to sell it just because of his attitude. its like he thinks he already owns it. but since ive never had whats basically a blank check handed to me, i dont know what id do. depends on how much i liked the car in question. if it was a dream car type situation, then no. but just a cool ride i was buildin, then i might. tough choice man....
Thats a no-brainer dude. Id start by typing a number, follow that by a lot of zeros...... but not too many that he wouldnt take it, just enought to be absurd, then I would hit the send button. You can always build another, and you only live once. Unless of course, you are already independently wealthy, then you wouldnt have ever invited him over int he 1st place.
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